Garden of Wonder
by Black Family Scribe
Summary: Arthur Kirkland begins working at a day-care. He doesn't realize how much it, and the children in it, will change his life. Love. Family. And humor. FrUK. FACE Family.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: I have plenty of other stories to be working on, but my sister said I should upload this. It's been sitting in my Hetalia folder for months so why not? Not sure when it'll get updted next.**

* * *

><p><strong>1. School Blues<strong>

Arthur Kirkland surveyed his new classroom with thinly veiled horror. He'd been trained for high school students. True, he'd went ahead and gotten a degree in early childhood education because he was, if you listened to his brothers and sister, an overachiever, but he'd never expected this.

He'd searched over three states. _Three._ And not a single one would hire him at their high schools. One had been very close, but after they'd discovered his preferences he'd been given the boot. Stupid super conservative Catholic schools. So finally he'd crept into a rather empty Café and met Berwald Oxenstierna.

After getting over his initial wariness (terror) of the intimidating man he'd found him a rather good listener and begun unloading his problems. And Berwald had even told him a friend of his was searching for help. But he hadn't expected it to be a _Day Care_. It wasn't that he disliked children. No, Arthur adored children and wanted some of his own. The problem was their parents. In his experience parents did not approve of men like him teaching their small children.

Stupid. True. Prejudice. Damn straight. The way the world worked at the moment. Unfortunately.

The little ones looked up at him expectantly and Arthur blushed. One of the boys in the back snickered. Or at least he thought it was a boy it might have been a girl. He cleared his throat and realized he was making an idiot of himself in front of a bunch of kids.

"Hello there, I'm Mr. Kirkland." He said in what he hoped was a friendly voice. Considering the trembling that started in the front row Arthur worried he was sounding like a pedophile.

A small hand rose in the back. Relieved by the distraction Arthur pointed to the curly haired little blonde. "Yes you there."

"Sir, where's Miss Arlovskaya?" the little blonde asked sweetly, a slight accent tingeing his childish voice, his glasses slipping down his nose in the most endearing manner.

Arthur flinched. Worst question ever. His new boss, Tino as he insisted on being called, had told him about the woman's firing. She'd been fine with the children. Loved them even. One she loved too much. Apparently the problem had been she'd become obsessed with one of them. A poor boy named Ivan Braginski who apparently had declined her advances. It had ended rather explosively and last Tino heard she was hiding in Belarus. No one was sure what exactly she'd done to the boy while she'd been here, but it was enough for him to mentally scar according to the child psychologist.

"She had to go away." Arthur said delicately. The blonde frowned unsatisfied, but settled down looking away shyly when he realized the rest of the class was looking at him.

"Alright," Arthur said abruptly eager to change the subject. "Why don't we go around the class and say our names so we can get to know each other."

"But we already know each other!" a high pitched voice protested, coming from a white haired shouter behind the shy one who'd spoken. Arthur did a double take on the child and realized one of his students was an albino.

"Yes, but this way _I_ get to know you." Arthur said glibly. The boy, or was it a boy, frowned at him cutely and muttered something to another blonde next to him. Arthur was fairly sure five year olds _were not_ supposed to know words like that.

"Okay, now get in a circle and we'll start." The children looked at each other, but complied.

"I'll start off, so you can get to know me." Arthur said feeling their eyes focus on him. He swallowed hard at their gazes. A few were actually glaring at him (!). Mentally he scolded himself for being so nervous about _children_.

"I'm Arthur Kirkland, and I moved to America from England two years ago." They started muttering amongst themselves. "_Igirisu._" "_What's that Kiku?_" "_Where Kirkland-sensei is from in my native tongue._" "_Let's call him Iggy!_" Arthur cleared his throat and gave the small Japanese boy and the grinning blonde wearing pigtails a pointed look. The blonde just smiled, waving a little as she mouthed '_Iggy._' at him.

"I like fairies and magical creatures." "_Pansy_." "_East behave._" _"He is a pansy West don't deny it_." Arthur twitched slightly and noted that, yes, the albino was in fact a little girl, and a little girl with a rather good sneer. "And I have three brothers and one sister."

"Now why don't you all tell me a little about yourselves?" Arthur said smile a bit strained. Arthur turned to look at a squirming brunette beside him. The brown haired boy beamed at him green eyes bright.

"I'm Antonio Fernandez Carriedo!" he told them brightly, Spanish accent adorably prominent in his baby voice. "I like tomatoes, Gil, Feli, and most of all _Lovi!~_" The child then proceeded to jump on the smaller brunette to his right, who shouted that the 'stupid Spanglo had better get off of him and that he didn't look like a tomato!'. Arthur's lips twitched in suppressed laughter as the smaller brunette screamed and threw Antonio off him when the boy pulled a wild curl on his head. Blushing the small brunette glared at Arthur as if it was his fault.

"I'm Lovino Vargas! And I hate stupid Spanglo!" the boy snarled. Arthur worried for a minute that he'd hurt Antonio's feelings, but the resilient child simply bounced up with a happy smile plastered on his face and a cheerful shout of "_Lovi!~_" The boy next to Lovino looked like the other boy, only his hair was lighter and his curl was in a different place. He also didn't look like he'd spit flames any second.

"Ve! I'm Feliciano Vargas! I like my fratello, pasta, and cute girls like Gilberte and Alfreda! Oh, and Elizabeta too. And Madeline from down the street. And Grandpa's nice lady friends. And-" Arthur was fairly sure the happy brunette would have gone on to list every girl he found pretty, if his brother hadn't pulled his hair, but strangely enough purposely avoiding the curl.

"Owie! _Fratello_!" Feliciano protested and Lovino glared at him.

"Don't talk so much!" the boy scolded. Feliciano pouted, but his brother let go at his silence. But apparently the boy wasn't done, because he perked up obviously having forgotten something.

"Oh, I almost forgot. I _love_ Ludwig, because he's my bestest, best, bestest, best, friend ev-er!" Feliciano said seriously causing the little blonde beside the albino to turn bright red. Arthur's heart melted at the heart warming scene.

"Yo shut it!" the albino shouted jumping up, looking gleeful. "It's the awesome me's turn!" she shouted looking quite serious. The other children went quiet, Lovino with a hostile glare, looking at the girl gravely. Arthur stared at the scene with surprise. The girl certainly could control a room, though from the terrified look on a few of the occupants it was likely she was a bully.

"I am the awesomely awesome Gilberte Beilschmidt, future Empress of the World and ruler of all you un-awesome, or less awesome in Feli, Toni, and Ludwig's cases." Okay arrogant little girl or not she as adorable Arthur decided. She suddenly turned to grin evilly at the small blonde next to her.

"I like awesomeness, wurst, people who are almost as awesome as me, like Alfreda's Papa and Toni. Oh and mostly I _love_ Ludwig. My adorable little bruder!" Gilberte's grin only seemed to widen at the small blonde's horror and pink streaked face.

"That was very…nice Gilberte." Arthur finally managed. The albino smirked at him. "But please sit down and let your brother speak."

The girl did as she asked and the embarrassed blonde began to speak.

"I am Ludwig Beilschmidt and I have a sister named Gilberte." The boy said quietly and quickly buried his face in his hands. The other children did not seem to find this strange and the black haired boy with a twirl began to speak.

"I'm Roderich Edelstein and my best friend is Vash. I like Elizabeta." He told them proudly and looked towards the beaming brunette child beside him. "We're going to get married."

The children quickly began whispering excitedly and a blonde with green eyes looked at Roderich, clearly upset. Arthur suspected this child was Vash and he hadn't been informed of Roderich's plans for matrimony. Roderich also seemed to notice this.

The little boy frowned obviously not sure how to make his friend stop looking upset. Arthur watched curiously as the boy lit up, clearly having thought of something.

"It's okay Vash you can marry me too and then we can all get married together." Roderich decided with a grin. The blonde, Vash, looked thoughtful, but nodded his agreement. Elizabeta, oddly enough, looked even happier. Gilberte snorted.

"You can't marry another boy." She sneered and Arthur stiffened. Roderich turned to glare at her, as did to his surprise, the shy curly haired blonde who'd asked about Arlovskaya and the blonde girl with pigtails.

"And why not?" the pigtails girl snarled jumping to her feet. Gilberte glared at him.

"Because you can't marry two people!" Gilberte told him. Arthur relaxed, slightly startled by his students awareness and apparent acceptance of two boys marrying.

"Well then…" Roderich drifted off unsure. The little brunette, Elizabeta, piped in.

"Me an' Roddie can get married and then adopt Vash as our brother." The little girl suggested. Vash nodded seemingly pleased and Arthur was once again surprised by the fact they even knew what adopt was.

"I'm Elizabeta Héderváry!" the small brunette chirped in after a moment of quiet. "I like Roddie!"

Arthur smiled at Elizabeta, who beamed in return and held her 'fiancé's' hand. Perhaps this job wouldn't be so bad. Arthur decided, heart melting even more at his pupils' continued cuteness. The rest of the class introduced themselves quickly.

Kiku Honda was the little Japanese boy, seemingly glued to the pigtailed blonde's hip. Alfreda Jones, the pig tailed blonde, apparently thought she was a heroine and insisted that his name was now Iggy. Her brother, who strangely enough, had a different last name from her, was apparently her sidekick, despite his protests. The boy's name was Mathew Williams and apparently he liked his sister, his papa, and his stuffed bear Kumajirou. Vash Zwingli proudly announced he loved his new little sister who was growing in his mother's belly and he liked Roderich and Elizabeta.

And finally they came to the last one. He was a small boy it was true, but rather large for his age. His hair was fair as was his skin. He was wrapped up in a large pink scarf. He sat silently in the back of the room, watching the other children nervously. There was a small empty area around him, indicating he did not fit in completely with his classmates. Arthur looked over the child quietly.

"And you are?" Arthur asked softly. The boy's eyes flickered to him and he had to resist the urge to gasp. They were a brilliant violet. The boy quickly looked away and Arthur heard a snort from behind him. Alfreda was standing there looking at the boy disapprovingly.

"That's Ivan Braginski," she told him venomously. Arthur blinked startled by the emotion in the friendly child's voice and by her glare.

"Alfreda?" Arthur asked uncertainly, the girl turned to him and quickly skipped over and grabbed his hand.

"You shouldn't talk to him Iggy!" she told him seriously. "He _never_ talks. Well he used to some, because the Evil One talked to him and converted him to the dark side, but then he stopped talking to almost everybody, 'cept when he's being a villain. And he's a Russian! That means he's a Communist!"

"Alfreda!" Arthur scolded voice sharpening. "Just because Ivan is Russian does not mean he's a Communist. And that does not give you a right to pick on him. Apologize." The girl stuck out her lip and narrowed her eyes in a way that reminded him of his little sister Siobhan (_Ireland_).

"Now _Alfreda_." The girl stomped her foot and spun around in apparent frustration.

"Sorry Commie!"

"_Alfreda_!"

Arthur should have known it was too good to be true.

"It is alright Mr. Kirkland." A heavily accented voice told him. Looking away from the fuming blonde he'd begun to scold, he realized it was Ivan looking at him seriously.

"No it isn't Ivan." Arthur told him seriously, brows drawing together. "We are here to have fun and learn. You are not to treat anyone badly or make them feel bad about themselves. Bullying is not to be tolerated." The boy blinked his purple gaze at him blankly and looked towards Alfreda who was glaring at him accusingly.

Then in a voice filled with innocence and childish certainty. "But Alfreda is too stupid to understand such a complex concept. She is quite dim sir."

"Commie!" Alfreda screeched furious as she lunged. Ivan was ready though and tripped the girl. Arthur gaped horrified as Alfreda leaped and tackled Ivan to the ground, apparently gathering herself faster than the boy thought she could. The girl proceeded to begin pulling his hair and screaming in his ear.

"No!" Arthur shouted cold with horror and grabbed the girl around the middle. She did not let go of her victim easily and clung to him. Arthur gave her a strong tug and she pulled free, but not before grabbing a hold of Ivan's scarf.

_Rip_.

The silence at the noise made Arthur freeze. Alfreda was in his arms holding a good portion of the boy's scarf in her hands. Ivan was staring down at his chest face twisted in pain and terror. Cuddling the scarf in his hands as he muttered soft and broken heartedly in Russian, tears grew in the boy's eyes. As abruptly as they appeared they were gone and the boy was giving Alfreda a look the chilled Arthur's blood to see.

"I will get you for this you stupid American. I swear I will get you." The boy vowed with a seriousness that made Arthur clutch the blonde tightly to his chest.

Oh god why? Everything had been going so well, he moaned mentally as he gently tugged the scarf from Alfreda's hands. The little girl looked guilty, but stubborn and Arthur sent her over to her very upset brother. After calming the children down he bent down a few feet from where Ivan sat in a corner.

"Ivan." He whispered softly. The boy looked at him coldly. Arthur swallowed hard, surprised by the terror that a child could evoke with one look. "Ivan give me your scarf."

The boy tensed and held onto the torn garment like it was a holy relic eyes flickering around desperately. Arthur regretted his choice of words. Soon the boy went still and turned his calm cold gaze to Arthur.

"You are not taking it. They always try and take it, adults do. They say I should not be so attached to it. It is not healthy. Mentally speaking." Ivan told him, small hands twisting into the pink cloth.

"You speak very well Ivan," Arthur told him softly, backing up a little. The boy looked at him suspiciously, but then nodded.

"Yes, they have said that too." Ivan told him. Curt and short.

Alright Arthur you can do this, he encouraged himself. He took a deep breath and purposely placed his hands on his lap where Ivan could see them. The boy kept his eyes on them with a wariness that worried Arthur.

"Ivan the reason I need your scarf is to fix it." Arthur told him, trying to sound sincere and helpful. Ivan's eye narrowed and examined him coldly.

"It is broken you can not fix it." The boy sounded so desolate and broken right then that Arthur thought he would cry, but soon the cold exterior was back.

"Yes I can. I sew Ivan." Arthur explained. The boy blinked at him looking perplexed and as if he found Arthur a little strange.

"Men can not sew." He told Arthur like it was obvious.

"If they learn they can." Arthur told him calmly a little startled by the surety of the boy's statement. Ivan looked at him clearly taken aback and surprised by this.

"Father says they can not because it is a woman's task." Ivan said after a moment's consideration, but not looking as certain as a moment ago.

Arthur pointedly ignored the sexism in that and kept speaking quietly to his charge. "Not everyone considers it a woman's task Ivan and I had to learn because I live on my own."

Ivan blinked confused. Arthur watched patiently as the boy debated. One second his grip would tighten on the scarf and then loosen. Arthur did not allow himself to reach out and made himself wait until the boy was sure. Finally the boy loosened his tight grip and slowly unwound the scarf and handed it gently to Arthur. Arthur took it with equal care, if not with the reverence that the boy seemed to hold it in.

"You care about this scarf very much Ivan." Arthur said quietly Ivan's gaze did not drift from the scarf.

"Yes." And after a pause. "My sister Katyusha made it for me so I'd always be warm."

Why did the boy sound so sad?


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: I haven't updated this in awhile, but I might start. This will probably one of the most fast paced fics I've ever written and sorry for the lack of much humor towards the end.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>2. Cold War in the Classroom<strong>

At first it seemed like things would be alright. Ivan had stood beside him as he'd sewn up his scarf and had thanked him with a pat on the knee before going to read in the corner. Matthew, who was also occupying the corner reading books about polar bears, didn't seem to mind his companion. Something Arthur had been glad of. At least one of his students didn't mind the poor boy.

Alfreda had started playing quietly in the corner with Kiku, who kept drawing on paper while his blonde friend talked. Eventually the two began working on a 'manga', whatever that was, where Alfreda was the heroine who saved the captured prince, her brother Matthew, from the terrible dragon she dubbed Maria. Watching him Arthur had been impressed to find Kiku's drawings quite mature and beyond stick figures. When he'd asked the boy about it, he'd blushed and said his big brother helped him. Arthur left them alone, pleased they were playing quietly.

The other children had followed in suit. Even the boisterous Gilberte, who'd begun playing Empress of the Universe with her brother and little Feliciano. The class had ended with the arrangements being made for Elizabeta and Roderich's wedding tomorrow. Gilberte and Alfreda were unanimously voted leaders and began planning. Then Arthur led them outside and with Tino's help gotten each of them on the correct bus.

Arthur should have known it wouldn't last.

When he'd arrived the next day the early arrivals were preparing the 'celebration' and Alfreda was moving a cake, she'd apparently gotten her Papa to make it, around trying to find the place it looked best in. After a few arguments with Gilberte the two girls settled for placing it on Arthur's desk so everyone could see it. Gilberte and Ludwig had decorated the room and brought grape juice to make toasts with. When asked how they knew about toasts, Ludwig explained, his face hidden in Gilberte's back, that they'd seen it when they went to their cousin's wedding. So finally they were ready and Arthur watched, with great amusement, as Ivan, elected because he was tallest, led Elizabeta down the aisle of chairs in her bright white dress. Ivan looked like he'd wanted to hide, but made it through.

Gilberte had made been elected priest and gave her toast in the middle of the vows. And finally the children exchanged animal cookies and they were apparently wed.

It was all Arthur could do not to laugh until he cried or start squealing and hugging them at the pure innocent cuteness.

The problems had started at nap time. Alfreda had been trying to sneak an extra cookie from Matthew's lunch box and Ivan had been reading a book. Therefore both children got there too late to claim their usual sleeping positions. Unfortunately that meant they would have to use the two mats in the back, right next to each other. It had seemed fine the first few minutes, perfect silence as the children slept on. But then Alfreda was suddenly screaming and sobbing about spiders being in her mat. When Arthur got there it was a plastic spider. Ivan's shoulders had been shaking with what appeared to be laughter as the boy pretended to keep sleeping. Arthur decided to talk to the boy privately later.

Finally after convincing Alfreda that the spiders were not out to get her or on her sleeping mat they'd finished nap time and gone on to lunch. Alfreda had found worms in her PB&J. True they were gummy worms, something Arthur only found out after Matthew ate one, but the girl seemed to hate all insects. Once again Arthur suspected Ivan. Then at the end of the day, while Alfreda was working on her manga with Kiku, Ivan had went up a step. He'd put a live worm down her shirt.

Arthur had punished Ivan then and there, but the damage was done and Alfreda was out for revenge.

It was the third day of the Day Care Cold War and Ivan and Alfreda were pointedly ignoring each other. In Ivan's case that meant the boy was speaking to no one, except Arthur himself. Behind Arthur's back he knew they were being nasty to each other, but he could do nothing about it until he saw something.

…

"Al you shouldn't be mean." Matthew Williams told his sister for the hundredth time that day. Alfreda glared at her brother, but the boy didn't react other than tearing up a little more. Alfreda pouted. She _hated_ when Mattie cried. Mattie was her little brother so she was supposed to make sure he was always happy. Plus Papa always managed to blame her when Mattie cried.

"I'm not being mean." She told her brother stubbornly. Matthew didn't look convinced.

"I'm not! He started it when he put spiders on my mat!" Alfreda told her brother instantly turning to glare in the innocently reading Russian boy's direction. Matthew sighed and wiped away his tears. Usually when he started crying it worked, but not this time Alfreda was too focused on Ivan.

"They were plastic." Matthew sniffed and stood up. Alfreda looked up at her brother startled.

"Where are you going?" she demanded eyes wide. Matthew frowned at his twin.

"I'm going to ask Ludwig and Feliciano to play since you're too busy." Matthew told him, pout still prominent. Alfreda squealed looking horrified.

"No, Mattie don't go to the German side!" Matthew looked at his sister confused and walked on. Alfreda watched her brother go eyes tearing up. Kiku had left her after she said it wouldn't be fair for him to help her get back at Ivan and now even Mattie. Alfreda sniffled and turned to glare at Ivan. It was all his fault she decided. She would make him pay. Alfreda didn't seem to realize that the owner of the pair of purple eyes watching her was thinking the same thing.

…

Arthur wasn't sure what possessed Alfreda to escalate her and Ivan's conflict, but soon Ivan's things started to get knocked out of his hands and he began to become very clumsy. Ivan retaliated by making Alfreda's things disappear and making Alfreda's eye maintain an almost permanent blackness. Arthur knew he had to do something, but he wasn't sure what. Finally it came to him as he remembered something his mother would do to him and Liam (_North Ireland_) when they were at their worst.

…

"Ivan, Alfreda wait there." Arthur called as the children ran outside for their playtime. The two enemies paused looking up at their blonde teacher confused. Tino also paused, when he saw the children stop, but spotting who they were he ducked out hiding a smile of amusement, brown eyes dancing. The Finnish man at least thought Arthur's proposal would be entertaining. The children squirmed uncomfortable when the door shut behind Tino leaving them alone together.

"You two have not been getting along recently and you've both been horrible to the other." Arthur commented slowly. Alfreda opened her mouth looking ready to loudly and venhemently protest her innoncence, but arthur stopped her with a look. She settled starring at him surly. Ivan looked cold and wary, something Arthur did not like to see on such a young child's face and that he decided to try and fix after he, hopefully, settled thre disagreement between these two. Without giving them the chance to react Arthur stepped foreword, grabbing alfreda's left hand and Ivan's right, and placed on them some padded hand cuffs, closing them with a click.

Both children starred frozen at their wrists now chained to the other, faces pictures of horror and disbelief. Arthur stilled his expression to one of seriousness trying not to wonder if he and Liam had looked like that when his mother and pulled this creative trick.

"Until you two can get along, you'll be together constantly. You'll wear this during every break, sit beside each other, take naps together, and eat together." Arthur told the children doing his best to ignore the look of betrayal in Ivan's eyes and the tears welling up in Alfreda's.

"Iggy! I'll be a good girl, just don't make me be with the communist! Nobody we'll play with me if his with me being all freaky and communist-y and stuff!" the little girl wailed causing both Arthur and Ivan to flinch as her voice climbed higher with each word.

"Shut up pig." Ivan growled, throwing Arthur a mutinous look. "I refuse to spend time with this brat!"

Arthur scowled. "Calling each other mean names like communist and pig is part of the reason we've come to this." Then Arthur couldn't take it anymore and softened. "Perhaps if you can behave during break you can sleep wherever you want at naptime."

They of course didn't. alfreda had wanted to go to the swings and Ivan had wanted the slide. Their shrieking argument quickly escalated to fists and poor little Matthew had gotten a black eye trying to pry his sister off. This had lead to even more violence when Alfreda had shoved Ivan's face in the mud for "hurting Mattie, you fat, communist bastard!" After washing Alfreda's mouth out with soap, treating the injured parties and dealing with a tense naptime, snacktime and inside playtime Arthur was relieved to throw them on the bus and wondering if his plan was so brilliant after all. Tino had patted him sympathetically on the arm and took him to Berwald's Café for something to eat.

…

Alfreda couldn't believe it had been two weeks since she'd become attached to Ivan. She'd gone home with more bruises than she could count and Papa hadn't been very sympathetic either claiming if she didn't pick on the poor boy and start the fights she wouldn't get hurt. Alfreda didn't pick on Ivan though. He was creepy and she was tryingt o warn people of his creepiness. Besides he started it with the spider thing. Alfreda shivered, whimpering slightly, horrified at the thought of those creepy eight legged monsters. Ivan threw her an annoyed look from behind one of the big books. Alfreda glared and he returned it before going back to the book. Alfreda snorted. It wasn't like he could actually read the book. It was humongous and didn't have pictures or anything.

Alfreda looked longingly at where Matthew was playing with his stuffed polar bear Kumajiro with Ludwig. Ludwig was a little weird, because he didn't really talk to anybody but Feliciano and his sister, but he was nice to be with when Gilberte wasn't around. She couldn't play with them though. She and Ivan had agreed after the thrid day that one day they'd do what Ivan wanted and the next day they'd do what Alfreda wanted. Yesterday Alfreda and Ivan had won King of the Mountain against the other kids and some of the older kids who'd jumped the fence to play with their younger siblings at the Day-Care. Alfreda had to admit Ivan was useful for pushing people off the jungle gym. He'd even made that mean third grader who usually claimed it cry. Arthur had gotten on to him, but Alfreda had given him a cookie later, because that same third grader had been the one who'd picke don Matthew their first day here. Ivan had looked surprised, but taken the cookie and when Arthur saw it they'd been allowed to have inside playtime seperately and the take naps in their preferred spots.

Now though Alfreda wasn't happy with Ivan. He was boring always pretending to read big books and never talking. Alfreda wanted to get up and run around and scream her head off. Like her Papa said she was energetic. Sitting and doing nothing was torture. Alfreda dug her toe in the dirt wallowing in her misery and furious at even for being a weirdo who didn't play like a normal kid and therefore prevented her from playing. Alfreda was so preoccupied with her depression that she only just realized that break had ended when she heard a shout that signaled that the older kids were coming to take their break on the otherside of the fence. Her side was empty accept for her and Ivan. She looked over at him wondering why he hadn't told her and saw his face was in the book.

"We have to go in." Alfreda told him standing and nudging him with her fought.

"Не сейчас. Идите отсюда." (_Not now. Go away._) Ivan muttered confusing the girl until she realized he was talking in another language like her Papa did.

"Talk English!" she snapped and kicked him again, this time with a little force. Ivan grabbed her leg before it hit, making her fall on her butt.

"Bête!" (_Beast!_) Alfreda snarled using her Papa's favorite insult from his native toungue. Ivan paused and blinked at her confused. Alfreda felt immediate satisfaction at knowing something that Ivan didn't for once. He was such a know-it-all. "Ha! Voir qui est plus intelligente maintenant!" (_Ha! See who is smarter now!_)

Ivan scowled at her and growled. "What are you saying, fool?"

"Je ne dis pas!" (_I'm not telling!_) Alfreda continued enjoying herself and forgetting why she'd kicked Ivan in the first place. Ivan simply jerked his arm causing her to fall down again.

"Hey!" Alfreda protested, pulling so the boy fell with her. He landed hard beside her and looked furious when his book landed pages open. "Ha!"

"Useless brat!" Ivan snarled as he dusted off the book looking as if Alfreda had hurt a person and not an inanimate object. Alfreda rolled her eyes at his reaction. Ivan was so stupid. Well stupid, but not _stupid_. Because he was clearly smart, but he was still a weirdo stupid creepy communist. Alfreda nodded along with her thoughts making Ivan look at her like she was stupid. Before either of them could do something else though a voice piped up from the fence.

"Look who it is the Russian freak and the fag's daughter." An older voice sneered and Alfreda wnet cold even as she tried to jump up furious at the bad word she knew was intended for her father only to be pulled down by Ivan's still sprawled form.

"Shut up!" she screamed trying to pul Ivan up. Finally he got the message and stood with her face even scarier than when she'd ripped his scarf. There were three boys, too old to be from the elementary school. Alfreda guessed they were from the middle school across the street and were skipping when they spotted her. She would never admit it, but she was alittle scared. She'd gotten into a fight because of the mean things people said about her Papa, but that hadn't happened since they'd moved to their new place and they'd never been that older than her. Or that big.

"Make me brat!" the blonde one who'd called her father the bad word and insulted Ivan sneered. Alfreda called him a word her Papa would spank her if he heard her saying and Arthur would make her taste soap if he heard. The blonde's features twisted and he made a grab for her only to be blocked by Ivan who he easily knocked down, sending Alfreda with him. She let out a yelp as the brunette next to the blonde stepped on her digging his heel into her stomach. Alfreda felt real terror course through her when she saw the third and biggest boy, with dark black her kick Ivan in the head and laugh.

"You not going to say anything freak?" the third boy mocked and Alfreda rolled out from under the brunette's foot when he lessened the pressure to watch his friend. Alfreda leaped over Ivan and dug her teeth into the third boy's ankle. He jumped back, tripping over his feet and falling down with a shriek.

"Ivan isn't a freak!" Alfreda snarled, though she knew he definitely was. She just didn't like these mean boys saying it. The brunette pushed her down as the blonde examined the third boy's wound with a look of disgust.

"The little bitch drew blood. You should wash it quick, Dad says people like her dad like touching kids so she probably has aids." The blonde said looking repulsed. The third boy cussed and struck out with his leg hitting Alfreda hard, making her suddenly light headed and wozzy. Alfreda didn't know what aids was or what they meant by touching, but she knew it was abd and wished she could hurt these boys for what they were saying and doing to her and Ivan.

"Bitch," the third boy snarled getting to his feet and raising his leg to begin beating her. Alfreda couldn't moved and closed her eyes so she wouldn't have to watch steeling herself for the pain. It didn't come. Instead she was suddenly covered by something suffocating and soft that shook suddenly. Alfreda opened her eyes to find Ivan on top of her. Sheilding her. The boys cursed and all three of them began kicking the boy. Ivan didn't move refusing to let them touch her. Alfreda felt tears burning their way down her cheeks. She was the heroine! She should be protecting Ivan. But she couldn't move and there was a bad pain her lower stomach and her head felt like it was floating away. Alfreda prayed it would stop and someone would save them. She prayed like the nuns had told her to. _Please god help. Save me. Save Ivan. Make the bad people go away._

"_What the bloody hell do you think you're doing_?" the most terrifying and wonderful voice Alfreda had every heard said. And suddenly Ivan stopped shaking with blows and lifted himself off Alfreda to revealing a scary and furious Arthur holding two boys by the neck looking murderous, while and equal angry Tino held the other one. Next to Tino was his friend Berwald who Alfreda remembered sometimes visited the Finish man. He quickly took the blonde and brunette from Arthur, making both boys look suddenly small and not so scary anymore.

Alfreeda's world tilted and the next second Arthur was beside her whispering reassuring things to her as she realized they were in the Day-Care. She heard Matthew crying somewhere nearby and an incomprehensible panicked stream of gibberish she recognized barely as a high pitched Ivan. Alfreda tried to tell Matthew she'd be fine, but before she could she found herself in Arthur's arms as he ran into an unfamiliar bright white place shouting "Doctor! We need a bloody DOCTOR!" then she was looking into the kind brown eyes of a man who looked a little like Kiku, only with long blakc hair in a ponytail and a little girly looking.

"It's alright now, aru. I'm Dr. Wang, you can sleep now Alfreda. Everything is alright, aru." He told her. Alfreda happily obeyed, after all doctors helped people and that made them sort of heroes. Alfreda knew she could trust a hero.


End file.
